HC Dismisses Dhoundial Plea

NEW DELHI, 3 Mar 2009: The Delhi High Court has tossed out the petition filed by Bihar cadre IPS officer Nirmal Dhoundial who is embroiled in a bitter property row with octogenarian former DU don Lotika Sarkar. HC's move came after the court commissioner appointed by it reported that he found Sarkar living with her relatives of her own free will and saw nothing to suggest she had been brainwashed or illegaly detained, as alleged by Dhoundial in his Habeas Corpus petition. Court commisioner Arjun Bhandari, a lawyer deputed by a division bench comprising Justice B D Ahmed and Justice M C Garg to verify the cop's allegations, claimed he met Sarkar and found her to be happy. She told him she wanted to continue staying with her relatives in Sujan Singh park for some more time. He had on February 21 recorded the statement of Sarkar in which she refuted the allegation that she has been detained by her relatives. On Monday, Lotika's lawyers also informed HC that Dhoundial was in possesion of certain articles of hers like passport, documents which she wanted back. At this, counsel for Dhoundial, Prashant Mehndiratta gave an undertaking his client would visit her and give whatever documents or articles she wanted back. With this undertaking being recorded, HC disposed of the petition. TOI had carried a series of reports about the curious case of how Dhoundial and a former maid of Lotika's were fighting over the property while Lotika remained a bystander. In his petition, the IPS officer had portayed himself as a family friend of Lotika, and claimed that she had "gifted'' his wife her Hauz Khas property worth crores, a contention refuted by Sarkar on the plea that she never intended to give the house to "anybody at all'' as it is her security in her old age. In a plaintive letter to Dhoundial, Lotika had asked for the house to be returned to her. Dhoundial had further alleged Lotika, 86, was forcibly taken away on January 15 from her Hauz Khas house by her cousin Malabika Karlekar who stays in Sujjan Singh Park. However, the State counsel had tabled before HC a letter written by Lotika assuring the court she was living with her relatives of her free will and was happy with them.

"Loved reading this piece by AEJAZ AHMED?
Join LAWyersClubIndia's network for daily News Updates, Judgment Summaries, Articles, Forum Threads, Online Law Courses, and MUCH MORE!!"

Join our Telegram group

Join our Whatsapp group